The darkness that filled the temple seemed to embrace every stone, every curved arch, turning it into a mysterious labyrinth of time, full of hidden knowledge. The faint light of the torches, dimly burning along the edges of the ancient walls, cast ghostly shadows on the frescoes covered with the dust of centuries. Melania felt each of her steps adding to the silence that filled the space, her heart racing faster as though echoing loudly in the emptiness of the temple.
The Master walked ahead, not turning back, and it seemed that he knew every inch of this place. His movements were almost weightless, as if he had long become a part of this ancient space. Melania tried to keep up, but her thoughts were occupied with what had just happened on the bridge. What was that? Who or what had blocked her path? And why did she feel it wasn’t just a coincidence, but part of something much larger? She had no answers to these questions.
They walked for a long time, descending deeper into the darkness. The same invisible weight that had long tortured Melania now seemed to fill the air itself. Perhaps, in these walls, time was not what Melania had known it to be. Here, it was different—alive, restless, endless.
Finally, they reached a large hall where the walls were covered in ancient inscriptions, and on the floor lay fragments of unrecognizable artifacts. It was eerily quiet here, and even the torches did not give the warmth that Melania had come to expect. They only flickered faintly, like the echo of a long-past era. The Master stopped in front of a huge stone slab, on which were carved mysterious symbols.
“Here,” he said, touching one of the slabs, “is where what you seek lies. This ancient knowledge will provide answers to your questions. Only with this knowledge will you understand what choice you will have to make when the time comes.”
Melania approached and gazed at the slab. Her gaze immediately lingered on the ancient writings, which seemed strangely familiar. She couldn’t decipher their meaning, but she felt that these symbols stirred something deep within her heart, something hidden. As though the very essence of time had been pressed into these lines.
“Do you feel it?” the Master asked. “These aren’t just symbols. This is energy. It flows through everything around you, through every breath, every thought. It carries a power that can destroy or change everything, depending on how you use it.”
Melania clenched her fists. She didn’t know why, but she felt that these words were more than just instructions. They were an attempt to convey the importance of the choice she would soon have to make, the importance of what she would have to decide in the very near future.
“When you take responsibility for time, you begin to see everything in a different light,” the Master continued. “You will see how fates intertwine, how threads tear apart, but know that not everyone will survive this process.”
Melania drew in a deep breath, feeling the weight of his words. She knew she was standing before a choice that would change everything, and that the responsibility rested not only on her shoulders but also on the shoulders of those she loved, and on the shoulders of the world she was about to save.
Her gaze dropped back to the slab, and for the first time, she saw among the ancient symbols one that appeared out of place. It was a mark she had never seen before. Dark and broken, like a crack in time itself. Melania reached out to it, not understanding why, but feeling that this was the moment when she had to act.
The moment her fingers touched the mark, the room was filled with a sudden, bright light, and a new reality unfolded before her—worlds, interweaving with one another, began to shift and change form. She saw not only possible futures but also how the past could influence each of her choices. Amid this chaos, she realized that her decision had to be not just right but precise. The choice she would make could either lead to restoration or destruction.
But what if there is no right path? What if destruction is the only way to change the world?
The Master stood nearby, watching her, still wearing that unseen smile on his lips.
“Do you understand, Melania?” he asked.
She looked him in the eyes, and this time her answer was firm.
“Yes, I understand.”